IMMIA, MCAG partner to stamp out galamsey

The Institute of Africa Media Monitoring Intelligence and Advocacy (IMMIA), a non-governmental media research organization, has partnered the Media Coalition Against Galamsey (MCAG) to fight the illegal mining (galamsey) menace in the country.

With the partnership, IMMIA will scientifically research and analyse contents to ascertain the media, government and other stakeholder’s commitment to fighting the menace.

The coalition, which includes the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) and the Private Newspaper Publishers Association (PRINPAG) seeks to sensitize the public to the galamsey menace and also seek support to flush out the illegal miners.

Ghana’s major water bodies and forest reserves have been completely destroyed as a result of illegal mining activities across all the regions. The campaign is therefore meant to be a wake-up call to the harm being done to water bodies and the vegetation by the illegal miners.

Speaking at the launch of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey Campaign, dubbed “LetsStop Galamsey” in Accra, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Peter Amewu said government is committed to providing the necessary support for the media coalition to champion the course since it is in line with government`s agenda.

“What you are doing here today is in line with government`s plans to fight illegal mining in the country and we are ready to support you in diverse ways,” he assured.

According to him, government is committed to ending illegal mining in the country and as a result an eight-member inter-ministerial committee has been set up which will be announcing its strategies to fighting the menace in the coming weeks.

The Executive Director of IMMIA, Dr. Messan Mawugbe, in a short message, expressed concern about the type of contents being published by the media in recent times.

“What kind of journalism are we practicing in recent times, are we practicing trigger journalism? I think the media is gradually shifting from its mandate of educating and sensitizing the public, and we need to scientifically research and analyze contents in the media, and that is what IMMIA, as an NGO seeks to do,” he lamented.

Dr. Mawubge said as the media coalition has kick-started the campaign against illegal mining in the country, IMMIA will critically research and analyze contents to ascertain the level of commitment of the media and the various other stakeholders.

“We as an NGO will make sure that, we track contents on galamsey in the media to ascertain whether they have weight enough to draw the public attention to the fight against galamsey in the country” he hinted.

Institute of Africa Media Monitoring Intelligence and Advocacy (IMMIA) is an alliance of the Center for Media Analysis (CMA) Ghana`s leading media research agency. IMMIA, an NGO seek to scientifically track and measure media contents to promote peace, democracy, development and strategic business communication in Africa.